Alleged con man arrested in Idaho

Richard G. Myers, who is accused of perpetuating book scams that cost Inland Northwest residents at least $160,000, was arrested Tuesday evening in Sandpoint for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, and on three outstanding warrants.

Myers made his first appearance Wednesday in 1st District Court in Bonner County. Bail was set at $31,300.

Myers, 51, is being sued by several people who invested in business propositions between 1999 and 2004. According to the suits, one of his scams was showing investors a forged letter from Oprah Winfrey, indicating that she wanted to feature his novel on her show. Myers told investors he needed money to print 400,000 copies of the book. Winfrey’s attorney later sent Myers a letter, warning him to cease infringing on her trademark.

Myers does not have criminal charges pending from the scam, but several investors had been looking for him for months. He was arrested in his camper near his wife’s residence on Upper Pack River Road.

Several investors contacted the Bonner County prosecutor’s office Wednesday, asking that bail not be set for Myers. In a faxed letter, Kat Bloom, a Greenacres resident who invested $20,000 in the Winfrey scheme, suggested that Myers is a flight risk.